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2008 Easter Events for
Children and Families at FUMC
Follow this
link
to the 2008 Easter Events for Children and Families at
FUMC
Where do children learn about faith? They can
spend up to 35 hours per week in school. 10-15 hours per
week watching television and 56 hours per week sleeping.
But how many hours do they spend learning about God’s
unconditional love, Christ’s gift on the cross and the
comforting presence of the Holy Spirit and the blessings
of the family?
For more information or questions about our Ministry with
Children, please contact Rev. Sarah Watkins Davis, (704)
864-4371 ext. 232 or
swdavis@fumcgnc.org
Sunday School
Every Sunday 9:45a.m. to
10:45 a.m.
Preschoolers
in Room 102
Kindergarteners in Room
108
First Graders in Room 130
Second Graders in Room 128
Third Graders in
Club3G (Room 131)
Fourth Graders in
Room 132
Fifth Graders in Room 129
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Sunday Worship
Children of all ages are invited to join us for worship at
8:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. each Sunday Morning.
A Nursery is provided for children through age 4.
School aged children are invited to participate with the
Worshipping Congregation.
Worship packets are available at each entrance to the
Sanctuary to aid your child’s worship experience each
Sunday. Kid friendly worship bulletins are also
available which allow children to participate in the Worship
Service.
All Kindergarteners participate in “Let’s Find Out About
Worship” the first 8 weeks of the Fall Sunday School program
which is designed to help them make the transition between
nursery and “big church”. All families are invited to
participate in this program.
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Nursery Ministry
We seek to provide children with a safe and clean
environment in which they can begin to develop their first
impressions of God and the Christian Faith.
Crib and Crawlers Nursery in Room
103;
Walkers & Talkers in Room 101;
3 & 4 year old children are in Room
101 during the 8:45 a.m. Service and in Room 102 during the
10:55 a.m. Service.
Nursery Care during both services for infants and toddlers
(through 4 years). Our nurseries are staffed by both
paid and volunteer caregivers.
Pagers are available to parents who leave their children in
the nursery. If you would like to use one of the
pagers, please ask one of the caregivers.
Questions regarding the Nursery program can be directed to
Cindy McFadden at
gastonzoo@carolina.rr.com or Sarah Watkins Davis
swdavis@fumcgnc.org.
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Sickness Policy
For the well-being of the children and caregivers serving in
our nurseries, we ask that you keep your child at home if
they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms or
illnesses in the last 24 hour period: Fever greater
than 100.0 F, runny nose and cough that is not allergy
related, diarrhea, pink eye, active chicken pox, measles or
mumps or any questionable rashes. If your child is
being treated with antibiotics, they should be on the drug
for at least 24 hours before coming to the nursery.
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FISH (First In
Serving Him)
Once-a-month program for children in 3rd-5th grades focusing
on missions and discovering what a difference we can make in
the world. We typically meet the third Sunday of
each month during the School Year.
FISH Update:
Check out our bulletin board outside the Canteen! We
learned that by serving God we also serve our Family &
Friends, Church Family, Community and World. There are
also five styles of service: Prayer, Work, Time,
Money, and Donations.
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Choirs and Handbells
We have a wonderful
music ministry
at First United Methodist Church. There are several
choirs and handbell choirs for children of all ages to
participate in. Practices are on Wednesday afternoons
before our weekly fellowship dinners.
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Wednesday Evening
Fellowship
Kid's Cafe is a kid’s only area for children (K-5th grades)
to come and eat kid friendly food. Reservations are
required. The Café is staffed by youth volunteers.
Following dinner there is a time for devotion then children
will be able to participate in a variety of activities;
planned games, gym free for all's, seasonal preparations,
mission & outreach just to name a few. The program is
led by various persons and staffed by youth workers.
Childcare is also available for birth through 4 years during
the program hour (6:30 p.m. to 7:30p.m.) in the Family Life
Center Nurseries.
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Seasonal Activities
Vacation Bible School
Easter Egg Celebrations
Butterfly Breakfast on Easter Sunday
Stewardship Lessons
Created by God: Human Sexuality Weekend
Challenge: Drug Awareness Program
3rd Grade Bible Presentations
New Beginnings Celebration
Fall & Advent Festivals for Families
Summer Activities are planned for Preschool—5th graders!
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Ways YOU can participate in Children's Ministries at First
Pray for the children and leaders
Bring your children
Volunteer for the nursery
Volunteer to teach or assist in Sunday School classes
Volunteer to assist with Wednesday Evening Fellowship
Programs
Support the children when they are collecting items for
mission projects
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Things We Always Need
If you have any of these items lying around your home and
would like to put them to good use, please send them our
way!
Yarn
School Supply type items
Plastic Fruit Baskets
Film Canisters
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A Guide for Parents and Friends of Children who Come to
Worship with Us
Children at Worship
Welcome to worship at First United Methodist Church!
We believe that the presence of children in the worshipping
community is important and we welcome and accept children to
be active members of the worshipping community.
We show our inclusion of children by:
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Providing quality childcare
for infants & toddlers through age 4 during worship
(available during any or all portions of the service.)
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Having a special time in the
service for children which includes an appropriate
message.
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Making sure that pencils,
worship activity bulletins, and Bible story books are
available for younger children in worship.
The Preschool Child
Adults may wonder at the wisdom of including preschool
children in worship, since they sometimes can be restless,
distracting those around them and embarrassing their
parents.
The preschool child comes to worship with:
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A rather limited attention
span,
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Seemingly endless energy, and
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A growing curiosity about
everything
While it is true that these ingredients can combine to test
a parent’s patience, there are benefits to exposing a
preschooler to worship. It develops a sense of
importance and belonging as a part of the family and the
church.
Here are some suggestions of things parents can do to make
the preschooler’s experience, and their own, more relaxed
and enjoyable:
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Sit near the front where your
child(ren) can have a clear view of the chancel
area.
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It may also be helpful to sit
near an aisle so that if needed you may move in and out of
the service with ease.
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Prepare your child(ren) for
the different parts of the worship service, explaining
special events ahead of time and answering questions
immediately in a quiet answer.
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Encourage the use of the
children’s activity bulletin by drawing and coloring in
them. Instead of being a distraction, hand activity
can help a child concentrate.
The
Primary Child
The school age child brings some new abilities to worship:
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A greater capacity for
attentive listening
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An increasing ability to read
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The ability to organize and
memorize information.
Parents and other worshippers can help the primary child
toward greater participation in worship as these capacities
develop by:
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Help them memorize The Lord’s
Prayer, Gloria Patri, Apostle’s Creed and Doxology.
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Review the bulletin with your
child(ren) to identify new or difficult words (take a
bulletin home to look up words)
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Number the order of evens in
the bulletin so that they may be checked off as we move
through the service
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Using different colors mark
the times we pray, the times we sing, the times we listen
to music, and the times we listen to God’s Word.
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Hold a card under the line as
you sing a hymn to enhance your child’s(ren’s) ability to
follow along.
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Make use of the activity
bulletin.
Worship and Learning
Worship is one
of the primary ways people learn what it means to be a
Christian. Children learn worship by worshipping with
the congregation Sunday after Sunday. This helps them
learn worship by:
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Learning that they belong to
Christ and are welcome in his church.
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Coming to learn the Lord’s
Prayer, the Doxology, and the Gloria Patri by
heart.
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Gaining rich, memorable
experiences of Christian community from which they may
draw later.
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Being enriched by the beauty
of music and art as our expressions of thankfulness to God
for all that has been given to us.
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Hearing Bible stories read
and interpreted, many of which they recognize from Sunday
School.
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Beginning to see worship as a
place where God speaks to them.
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Discovering that they are
valued as persons by God and by God’s people at Church.
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Recognizing worship as a
family activity.
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ABC’s
for Parents and Friends of Children
Arrive in time to find a good place to sit. Sitting
near the front will provide younger children with a better
view of the chancel. Use the time before the prelude
to look around and recognize friends, to read through and
mark the bulletin, and to locate hymns and responses.
Bring a favorite stuffed animal or Bible story. Make
use of the worship activity packs located at the entrances
to the sanctuary. They include a child friendly
bulletin, crayons, and other activities for busy hands.
Clue in children as to what will happen next in worship.
Children who can read will want to go over the printed
prayers and readings and find the hymns in the Hymnal.
They like to be prepared. They may want to color code
and/or number the order of worship.
Discuss worship at home to answer any questions about
worship experiences. Also this will prepare children
for any special experiences of worship – such as Baptism or
the Lord's Supper.
Express your gladness at having children in worship.
Let your child(ren) lean against you, ask questions, have
your attention. Include children in conversations
before and after worship.
Free yourself from having to worry about children’s behavior
and receive their ministry to you.
God is present, so teach your child(ren) to be reverent and
quiet in appreciation of prayer time.
Help parents and their child(ren) by treating children as
part of your family and support their parents in their
effort to teach and discipline their child(ren).
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Webpage Links
For
Parents, Teachers, Other Adults
www.rogerday.com
http://www.gbod.org/ministries/children/
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/
http://www.endhunger.org/
http://www.gbod.org/ministries/family/
http://www.momsminivan.com/
http://www.wnccumc.org/
http://www.kidsdomain.com/
For Kids:
http://www.upperroom.org/pockets/
http://www.americangirl.com/fun.html
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